Hospitality and Retail Executive Search
Leadership for operators running more than one location
VisionSpark is a retained executive search firm that places operations, finance, marketing and revenue leaders at
restaurant groups, breweries, retailers and consumer brands.
Hospitality and retail businesses tend to outgrow their leadership structure at a specific point: the move from
one site to several. What worked when the owner could walk the floor every day stops working when there are
three floors, three teams and three sets of numbers. The roles that follow are the first real management layer
the business has had.
Hospitality and retail brands VisionSpark has worked with
Leadership roles filled for hospitality and retail operators
| Business | Role placed |
|---|---|
| Mike Mariola Restaurants | Controller |
| Reuben's Brews | Director of Operations |
| Hot Chicken Takeover | Marketing Director |
| Midwest Retail Services | CRO |
| Kayo Conference Series | Head of Sales and Business Development |
| Pod Plug | Head of Operations |
What does hospitality and retail executive search cover?
Hospitality and retail executive search means recruiting the leadership layer above unit management: operations directors, controllers and finance leaders, marketing directors and revenue leaders. VisionSpark recruits at that level rather than filling general manager, store manager or hourly positions.
The point where multi-unit operators need a leadership layer
The roles listed above are functional rather than second-in-command appointments, which sets this group apart from most of VisionSpark’s work. Operators here are typically hiring their first dedicated leader in a single discipline: someone to own finance, or operations, or marketing, so the founder is no longer covering all three.
The common thread is scale across sites. A controller for a restaurant group is managing several profit centers at once. A director of operations at a growing brewery is holding consistency across locations that each want to do things their own way.
What usually triggers the search
- A second or third location is opening and the current structure will not stretch to cover it.
- Finance has moved past what an external bookkeeper can handle, with inventory, labor and multi-site margin all in play.
- Marketing or sales has been handled by the founder and now needs someone accountable for growth.
Candidates are assessed against the business and the role using the Talent Impact Profile™ assessment, within the six-step search process.
Feedback from a client
Questions operators ask before hiring
Does VisionSpark recruit general managers or store managers?
No. VisionSpark recruits above unit level: operations directors, controllers and finance leaders, marketing directors, revenue leaders and COOs. Unit management and other non-executive hires are handled through Key Team Member Search.
How is hiring for a multi-unit business different?
The leader has to run the business through other people rather than by being present. Someone who was excellent managing one site often struggles with three, because the job changes from doing the work to setting standards and holding managers to them. Assessing for that shift matters more than counting years in the industry.
Does a growing restaurant group need a COO or a director of operations?
A director of operations owns the running of the locations. A COO owns the whole business, including finance, people and growth, and is usually the right answer once the owner wants to step out of daily decisions entirely. Most groups need the first before the second. VisionSpark works through which one fits during discovery, and the #2 Leader Search page covers where the line falls.
Hospitality and retail executive search for multi-unit operators
VisionSpark provides retained executive search for restaurant groups, breweries, retailers and consumer brands nationwide, from its office in Worthington, Ohio. Book a discovery call to work through what the role needs to own before the search begins. You can also watch client testimonials or see every industry VisionSpark serves.
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